Rita's Secret

Her name is Rita. She's our assistant at work. I love working with her. Every time I ask a favor from her, she will do it without any complaints or alibis. And she always wear a smile on her face, regardless of how swamped we are at work.

I found out she has two other jobs other than what we have together. I wonder how can she manage to do it. Time management and Perseverance were her reply. She said she just wish she earns as much as I do so she can just keep one job but the need requires her to hang on to three.

She earns half of my salary as an assistant but she will always be the one to bring me food and buy me chocolates and coffee. She will tell me some stories about her son back in the Philippines. She whines of how expensive Levi's 501 nowadays. "$60 for a pair of jeans? That's ridiculous!" . I will smile when she does that, thinking of my Seven For All Mankind jeans (which most of them don't fit no more for gaining weight from her Adobo, Kare Kare and Kit Kats during break times).

Today, she showed me pictures of her new constructed house in Alabang. It was a beautiful modern house. The house I dreamt of having. It's a 5-room 2-level house with a stunning Japanese garden. All that came out of my mouth seeing the pics was "Wow!".

I asked her how much did she spare for this amazing house. She replied coyly: 14 million pesos. I didnt allow the 'Wow' out of my mouth this time. I remember she works 3 jobs and she deserves having this. She lost her husband long time ago. And she did this all by herself? I thought to myself, I cannot afford building this house in 3 years like the way she did. Did she win the Lotto? Well, if she did, why is she still working with us?

"All of my hard work was for this house. One more year and i'll not be working hard for the Money any more" she reckons. Her son will be graduating next year. Then she said: "When he finishes college next year... he will find a job and HE WILL BE LIKE YOU!"

I was a little bit embarrassed and surprised of how Rita see me as a model for her son. The high regards she has for me. I told her with all honesty : "No, Rita. I hope your son will not turn out to be like me. I hope he will emerge to be like YOU"

All she replied was: "Ikaw naman. Joker ka talaga!".

I didnt know if she did get my point. She was carrying fresh linens and some cleaning soap heading towards the room of an elderly Caucasian full of poop. And I thought, I wish I can be like her.

-----O-----

Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success. -Dale Carnegie